The 2019 Heathrow Business Summit Programme will launch in the Spring of 2019.

Heathrow is committed to using its position as a national asset for the particular benefit of SMEs around the country - as committed to in Heathrow 2.0, Heathrow’s plan for Sustainable Growth. Our goal is to enable more and more UK SMEs to connect to new opportunities for growth locally, nationally and internationally. Through the Heathrow Business Summit we are working to connect SMEs with each other, with the airport, and, through the airport, to the world.

The airport spends up to £1.5bn annually with more than 1,400 suppliers from around the UK and there will be more work on the horizon with expansion. Construction of the runway will be the UK's largest privately-funded infrastructure project and small and medium-sized businesses will be critical to delivering the £14bn investment.

In 2018, Heathrow hosted a series of Heathrow Business Summits across the UK. These events provided a unique opportunity for SMEs to connect and trade face to face with other SMEs, Heathrow's supply chain, and in partnership with the Department for International Trade, explore exporting opportunities.

Heathrow's five SME guarantees are:

Develop the successful Heathrow Business Summits across the UK. These bring together SMEs with Heathrow's procurement team and the airport’s principal suppliers.

As a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code, ensure suppliers are paid on time and ensure this practice flows down through the airports supply chain into SMEs.

Establish a new Innovation Networking Forum to reach out to SMEs and start-up organisations in the innovation and technology sector.

Offer SMEs access to the millions of international passengers at Heathrow, by brokering deals between stockists and World Duty Free and other retail tenants.

Establish a grants programme offering awards up to £2k for SMEs to spend on travel and trade missions to help SMEs reach new markets.